


The Catch

by TAEWITHLUV



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-23 19:40:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18708673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TAEWITHLUV/pseuds/TAEWITHLUV
Summary: Hinata loses herself in a forest of spirits and meets one Naruto Uzumaki, but knowing him has a dangerous catch. What will happen when the two become friends and get closer?





	The Catch

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is based on the movie hotarubi no mori e! i might've changed a few things to fit the way i want the story to go, but im proud of this one!

"Bye, uncle! See you soon!" Hinata was racing out the house on her way to the Forest of Spirits, one of the most talked about spots in her entire village. Of course her family didn't approve of the fact that she spent her afternoons in the "Forbidden Forest", but how could she stay away? Every time someone spoke of it, it was to say that the spirits there were the most evil ones they'd ever seen. With the personality Hinata had, it was impossible not to venture deeper and deeper into it each day.  
She stepped into the forest, her eyes resting on a huge field filled with flowers prettier than the ones in any flower shop back home. Her face lit up at this as her legs took up a life of their own and ran to the field, a sea of colors blossoming in her face. She spent a good amount of time here and decided to roam around the rest of the forest, getting lost as a result. So she found a clearing and began to sob. Of course, sobbing was her way of hoping her luck would magically change.  
Unbeknownst to her, her luck would magically change. The blades of grass she was sitting on began to rustle softly as someone came closer to her. He was wearing a white mask with crimson red markings adorning it, but peeking up from the top of the mask were sunflower colored spikes of hair. Hinata had never seen someone like him throughout her entire sheltered life, so of course his appearance alone intrigued her.  
"Are you lost? I can lead you out of the forest if you want." His voice was raspy and rough like sandpaper, but to Hinata's ears it sounded smooth as the ice cream she'd eat with her uncle on quiet Sunday afternoons.  
"I'm saved!" She shot up from the grass and practically flung herself at the man in front of her, but at the last second he stepped away and left her to fall onto the grass yet again. After a second, she raised her head slowly, a sense of dizziness hitting her now.  
"Sorry about that. You're a human, aren't you?" This sparked a thought in Hinata's mind. What kind of question was that? Of course she was human... wasn't he? "What else would I be? Why, what are you?" The man cleared his throat and directed his attention at the grass below him before speaking up again.  
"I'm... something that lives in this forest. You can't touch me, because if you do I'll disappear forever." She was confused at this, but decided to leave it alone. They both got to walking quietly for a while, each person holding on to either end of a stick so as not to get separated from one another.  
"So.. what's your name?" She looked at him with a smile, hoping to see some kind of facial expression being reciprocated through his mask.  
"Naruto. And yours?" His name had a nice ring to it, it was a name she wouldn't mind saying once in a while. "My name's "Hinata", she said as hints of laughter left her mouth. They continued walking until they reached the forest's entrance. Naruto let go of the stick that was connecting them, which took away any trace of smiling Hinata had left.  
"I leave the city tomorrow, but I come back every summer. Will you still be here?" Naruto laughed softly at this and nodded, thinking she'd forget about him by the time she'd be back. "Great! See you in a year!" And with that, Hinata was running off back to her uncle's house .

Sure enough, Hinata did come back the next summer, and by this time she was already 19. She would leave her uncle's house every morning to visit the forest and, inevitably, Naruto. Over time, the two even became friends. But still, she had never even seen his face behind that mask of his. One day they had been cloud watching in a field, and Hinata suspected that Naruto had fallen asleep, so she took her opportunity. She carefully lifted the mask off his face, and saw that Naruto had whisker like marks on his cheeks. She studied them for a moment until he opened his eyes, leaving Hinata to scramble back and apologize profusely. He laughed and shook his hand as a way to tell her it was okay.  
The two began wandering around again until Hinata stopped them and cleared her throat softly. "Naruto? I won't be back in the forest for a while. My uncle found out I've been coming here, and he doesn't think I should spend my time here. I'm sorry." Tears were forming in her eyes now, and some began to stream down her cheeks. Naruto took off his mask and smiled at her.  
"It's okay, Hinata. I'll be here when you return." She wiped away her tears and smiled, and the two continued down their walk out of the forest. 

When she left him again that day, it was years until she came back. On her 20th birthday, she returned. She was wearing her nicest sundress, and she hoped Naruto would remember her. She called out his name around the spot they'd always meet up in, and sure enough he came.  
"Hinata? You look amazing." She smiled at looked down, her cheeks heating up and turning red. "You look like the same 20 year old you've always been. But you look good as always." He chuckled and extended a stick, motioning for her to take hold of it so they could walk together. He began telling her stories of things he'd experienced in her absence, including the Festival of Spirits.  
"I was hoping I could take you this year, Hinata. I've always wanted to, but I was worried you'd be scared. Plus, it'd be nice to go for your birthday." She stopped and began laughing, accepting his invitation to go. Night came and the two were making their way into the festival, smiles gracing their faces.  
"Here, wrap this cloth around you so we don't lose each other." She did, and she mentioned to him that this felt just like a date. He chuckled softly. "This is a date!" She paused and looked at him, his mask covering his face still. Her mouth curled into a smile at his words, and he began leading her around the festival to all the attractions and shops they could find. The two spent the night laughing together wildly, and as the night came to a close and the two were eating, she paused silently to admire the man Naruto had become. Little did she know, Naruto had been doing the same thing with her almost the entire night. Almost the entire time they'd known each other, even. 

When the festival was over and the two were making their way out of the forest again, Naruto stopped them. He took off his mask and placed it on her face gently, and his next move surprised Hinata. He kissed her mask, and although it wasn't a kiss on her cheek it still held the same meaning for the both of them.  
"That mask... it's yours now, Hinata." He smiled softly, and she couldn't stop herself from blushing. She'd always been so intrigued by his mask, and the fact that he was giving it to her on such a special night meant a lot to her. Then the two were walking again, both of them wearing peaceful smiles on their faces.  
Suddenly two kids were flying past them, and as one of them was about to fall Naruto leaned forward quickly and caught his arm. When the kid realized this, he thanked Naruto quickly before running off again. Green flakes now began swirling around them coming from Naruto's fingertips. When Hinata noticed this, her mind immediately went to the worst.  
"Naruto? What's happening? Was that kid a human?" Her voice was trembling, the fear in her voice completely transparent. Naruto smiled as he realized what was happening to him. "Come here, Hinata! I can finally hug you!" Within a second Hinata realized that he was disappearing, and she flung herself into his arms to touch him for the first time since they met 2 years ago. She held onto him tightly with a smile on her face. Although her first love was disappearing before her eyes, she was finally hugging him. She never thought she would be able to do this. And although he was disappearing, Naruto could finally confess his feelings for her. "I love you, Hinata..."  
She began crying as he was disappearing, until finally they were falling down onto the grass. "I love you too.", she said, her voice shaking again. Now she laid on the ground holding on the robe he was wearing that night, her breathing ragged and her tears staining her cheeks.  
When the tears from her eyes settled slightly, she sat on the ground beside his robe, her eyes fixed on his mask that was now nestled in her hands. She hoped they would go through life together side by side. She never would've thought their time together would come to an end like this, especially not so soon. When she finally stood up, she grabbed his robe and held his mask tightly against her chest as she left the forest.  
"He would want me to be happy, not to cry for him. This will hurt, but I have to go on. He will always be in my heart."


End file.
